The city’s first Monorail line, to run between Chembur and Wadala, is likely to take 5,000 bus rides and 10,000 taxi and rickshaw rides out of traffic in the Chembur-Wadala belt.
“The Monorail will achieve this reduction since it will carry about 550 commuters on each trip,” said Ashwini Bhide, joint metropolitan commissioner at the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA).
A consortium of L&T and SCOMI of Malaysia is building the 21-km line at a cost of Rs 2,450 crore. The first stretch, from Jacob Circle to Wadala, is likely to be completed by December 2010 — the entire line is scheduled to be ready by May 2011.
The Monorail — which will run 21 km from Wadala to Chembur — is expected to cover the stretch in 44 minutes, and will run from 5 am to midnight very day, carrying two lakh passengers.
Each train will carry a minimum of 500 passengers. MMRDA officials claim the Monorail will minimise air and noise pollution in a city that the World Health Organisation calls one of the most polluted in the world. MMRDA officials claim since the Monorail does not need any fossil fuel for its operation, it will create no air pollution and very little noise pollution. The Monorail, as an alternative air-conditioned transport system, will also help save large quantities of fuel currently used by buses, taxis, auto-rickshaws and private vehicles.
“Private vehicle owners will save time and fuel costs by using the Monorail,” MMRDA Commissioner Ratnakar Gaikwad said.
{{/usCountry}}“Private vehicle owners will save time and fuel costs by using the Monorail,” MMRDA Commissioner Ratnakar Gaikwad said.
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